Hello Gardeners!
Beans, Beans, Beans!
The beginning of June is a great time to plant beans. Beans like warmer soil temperature of around 60ºF and they germinate the best when the soil temperature is between 70–90°F. If the soil is too cold the seeds may rot or have poor germination. Obviously our soil is not going to warm up over the next few days, but it will soon!
Beans are easy to grow. They have few pests and diseases and need little fertilizer. The seed library 12 different varieties of beans to choose from, both bush and pole types.
Pole beans bear pods throughout the season and need a support to grow on. It’s best to provide the support at planting time. The support should be 6 to 8 feet tall. Be sure the trellis, teepee, fence, or other support is in place before you seed so you don’t disturb the roots. Plant 3 to 4 bean seeds per pole, spaced at least 2 to 3 inches apart. Space poles, trellises, or teepees 3 to 4 feet apart.
Bush varieties produce most of their pods during a short window and grow only about 2 feet tall so they do not need support. Some people plant bush beans in succession about every 2 weeks until August so they have beans throughout the summer and fall. Bush beans can be planted in rows 2 1/2 to 3 feet apart, with seeds placed 1 to 2 inches apart. After the plants germinate, thin the seedlings to 3 to 4 inches apart.
Find the list of bean seeds on the blogsite or below:
Beans: (approx. 20-24 seeds per packet)
Blue Lake 7 – pole, 60 days
Bountiful – bush bean, 45-50 days
Cranberry – bush, 75-90 days
Empress – bush, 55 days
Kentucky Wonder – pole, 9” pods, 65 days
Maxibel Haricot Vert – bush, French filet, 50 days
Mayflower – pole bean, 95 days
Climbing French Bean – pole bean, edible 4-7” pods, 65-75 days
Painted Pony – bush, 60 days pod, 90 days bean
Pretzel - ???
Tiger Eye – half-pole, 80-90 days
Unknown green bean
Grow a Row
All the packets of seeds for the Grow a Row project have been taken. If you missed out, I plan to do this again next year! I hope those who took a packet of seeds have a great harvest! Thank you!
Seed Talk – Growing Fruit – Tuesday June 8th, 2021, 6:30 pm
We will talk about the MN-hardy fruiting plants, including selection, care, and harvest tips. Bring your questions and experiences to share. Ramsey County Master Gardeners will participate in the discussion and share research-based best practices from the University of Minnesota. Talk via Zoom.
You must register ahead of time via Seed Talk
How to Get Seeds
Here are the directions on how to get seeds:
1. Go to the White Bear Lake Seed Library’s blogsite at: https://wblseedlibrary.blogspot.com/
2. Select your seeds from the seeds lists posted on the right hand side of the blogsite.
3. Email your selection to Pam at: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com. Pam will reply to your email when your seeds are bagged and ready for pickup.
4. I will make a weekly drop off of seed bags to the White Bear Lake library, 2150 2nd St, White Bear Lake, MN on Thursdays by noon.
Orders placed by Wednesday at 8pm will be available for pick up on Thursday. Your brown paper seed bag will be labelled with your name. The bags will be placed on the seed library table. The seed library table is to the right just after you go through the two sets of doors. If your seed bag is not picked up in 2 weeks it will be returned to the seed library.
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How to Donate Seeds to the Seed Library
Place dry seeds in a paper envelope with the name of seed, year and location on the envelope. Drop off in the bin on the seed library table in the library during open hours.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
Natural Landscaping for Your Yard and Garden,
June 9th from Noon to 1:30pm
Learn about including everyone in cultivating wildlife habitat. Want to have a beautiful pollinator and water quality friendly yard? Don’t know where to start? Don’t have a big budget? Tune in with your questions, ideas and experiences.
Worldwide we are in the midst of a bird and insect collapse catastrophe (See “Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature'”).Every square foot of land can make a difference. Your yard, or the property you manage, can make a difference. You can provide real ecological benefit on your city or suburban lot!
The program:
- "Community Centered Resilient Landscapes" with Laura Scholl, Associate Director of Metro Blooms
- "Right Plant, Right Place" with Julie Weisenhorn, U of MN Extension Horticulturist
- "Planting for Pollinators" with James Wolfin, Sustainable Landcare/Turf Alternatives with Metro Blooms
MN Seed Native Plant Community Science Project
The MN SEED Native Plant Community Science Project is an exciting opportunity that helps gardeners identify, track, and learn to save seed from their native plantings and then propagate new plants in the coming season. Minnesota State Horticultural Society in collaboration with the Saint Paul Seed Circle, Como Community Seed Library and with generous funding from a Capitol Region Watershed District Partner Grant is offering this special initiative during the 2021 growing season.
Native plants are especially adapted to their region and support a wide range of wildlife while also improving soil, air and water. Native plants also typically produce an abundance of seed that can be saved and shared gardener to gardener.
Through the MN Seed Native Plant Community Science Project gardeners will have access to
- Online webinars on native plant identification and plant family characteristics, how to use the citizen science app iNaturalist, and later in the season how to propagate new plants for collected native seed hosted by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society
- The MN Seed iNaturalist project, a free citizen science app based project that will help gardeners identify, track, and evaluate their plantings.
- Seed Collecting and Processing events
- Seed Swaps to share the collected seed at the end of the growing season.
Residents and gardeners who live in the Capitol Region Watershed District boundaries and who sign up for the project will be provided with bonus tools and discounted access to the webinars.
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Great River Greening Wonderhour
Join Great River Greening for nature-based skills and knowledge. Free.
Register here.
Stopping Problem Plants (Tuesday, June 15, 6 p.m.)
Learn to identify and manage common invasive plants found in Minnesota yards and natural areas, and find out about new invaders on the horizon.
Climate Resilient Gardens (Wednesday, July 14, 6 p.m.)
The climate is changing, and that will affect Minnesota gardens. Learn about what to expect and how to adapt to grow a more resilient landscape.
Nature Heals (Wednesday, August 11, 6 p.m.)
Learn the science of how time spent in nature helps to improve our physical and mental well-being.
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Ramsey County Master Gardener Classes
Many online classes throughout the spring. See classes.
Plant Sales
Landscape Revival – Native Plant Expo and Market, June 5
Purchase Minnesota native plants from local growers. No cultivars or systemic insecticides used. Some growers are offering presales. See landscape revival
Future Seed Talks via Zoom, all at 6:30pm
June 8, 2021 Tues – How to Grow Fruit
July 13, 2021 Tues – Problems, Pests and Poor Performance
Contact info for the Seed Library:
Email: wblseedlibrary@gmail.com
Blog site: WBL Seed Library
Pam
